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Seeing how a Bee was busying itself about a flower, an Eagle said to it, with disdain: "How I pity thee, poor thing, with all thy toil and skill!
老鹰看到一只蜜蜂正忙着采蜜，就不无轻蔑地对他说：“我真同情你，可怜的小东西，尽管你是如此辛劳，如此灵巧！
All through the summer, thousands of thy fellows are moulding honeycomb in the hive.
整个夏天，你成千上万的同类们都在蜂房里建造蜂巢。
But who will afterwards separate and distinguish the results of thy labour? I must confess, I do not understand what pleasure thou can take in it.
但是，日后谁会去分辨一下你们的劳动成果呢？坦白地说，我不明白你们能从中获得什么乐趣。一辈子辛劳，到头来能看到什么好处呢？
To labour all one's life, and to have what in view? Why, to die without having achieved distinction, exactly like all the rest.
唉，临终也未能声名显赫，只是和其他蜜蜂一样默默无闻。
What a difference there is between us! When I spread my sounding pinions, and am borne along near the clouds, I am everywhere a cause of alarm.
我们之间真是有天壤之别啊！当我张开呼呼作响的翅膀，冲上云霄，普天之下一片惊慌。
The birds do not dare to rise from the ground ;the shepherds fear to repose beside their wellfed flocks, and the swift does, having seen me, will not venture out into the plain."
鸟儿们不敢飞离地面；牧羊人不敢静卧在肥壮的羊群身旁；连敏捷的母鹿看到我，也不敢走出森林踏上平原。”
But the Bee replies:" To thee be glory and honour! May Jupiter continue to pour on thee his bounteous gifts! I, however, born to work for the common good, do not seek to make my labour distinguished.
但是，蜜蜂回答道：“你荣耀辉煌吧！希望丘比特继续把他那慷慨无尽的恩泽倾注于你！然而，我天生就是为公众利益服务的，我不期望张扬我的劳动。
But, when I look at our honeycombs, I am consoled by the thought that there are in them a few drops of my own honey."
不过，当我看到我们的蜂巢，想到那里也有我的几滴蜂蜜，我就觉得很是安慰了。”
Fortunate is he, the field of whose labour is conspicuous! He gains added strength from the knowledge that the whole world witnesses his exploits.
虽然，工作领域引人注目的人很幸运，他们知道世人目睹了自己的成就，就平添了更多的力量
But how deserving of respect is he who, in humble obscurity, hopes for neither fame nor honour in return for all his labour, for all his loss of rest----who is animated by this thought only, that he works for the common good!
但是，默默无闻的人又是那么值得尊重啊！对于自己付出的劳动和牺牲的休息，他们不谋求名望和荣誉的回报。只要想到自己是在为公众利益服务，他们就有了力量。
